The Trustees of Reservations Announce Opening of Powisset Farm

Dover, MA – The Trustees of Reservations today announced the official opening of Powisset Farm, located at 37 Powisset Street in Dover, for the public’s use and enjoyment, on Sunday, June 8th. The 99th property to be added to the Trustees’ extensive, statewide reservation system, Powisset Farm is also celebrating its second year in operation as a Community Supported Agriculture farm (CSA).

Powisset Farm features a classic old barn, pond, pigs “Tink” and “Molly,” chickens, 104 acres of fields, and more than a mile of new hiking trails. Visitors are invited to stop by the farm on opening day at 1PM for a welcome and ribbon-cutting, a chance to enter to win one of three Winter CSA farm shares, and the opportunity to meet the farmer, walk the trails, greet the animals, and enjoy some tasty treats with friends and family. Come discover what makes this a special place for the community! Event is free to all. Please note that dogs are not permitted at the farm due to the agricultural activities and livestock.

The new Powisset trail meanders through the front pasture, past the vegetable fields, and into the back wildflower meadows before linking to a network of trails running through Hale Reservation. Also new to the farm this year is an expanded pick-your-own flower garden, benches, and picnic tables for all to enjoy. For more information, please call 508.785.0339 or visit The Trustees at www.thetrustees.org.

Memberships and donations are welcome to help support the ongoing maintenance of the property and mission of the organization. Members receive discounts on programs and workshops, as well as regular news updates on events and happenings, a guide to other Trustees properties, and a subscription to The Trustees? Special Places magazine. For more information, please contact membership@ttor.org.

The Trustees and CSAsDue to the increasing demand for fresh, locally grown produce, Powisset Farm is kicking off its second season as a fully operational CSA with 200 shareholders, up from 100 last year. Demonstrating the growth in popularity of CSAs, Powisset’s former farm apprentice, Molly Fogelman, was just recently hired to head up a new operation at The Dover Farm. Other local CSAs include the Vanguarden CSA on Haven Street in Dover and Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm in Millis.

Following sustainable and organic farming practices, The Trustees’ CSA Program is designed to bring members of the community together to share the farm’s output and, if they wish, become volunteer laborers on the farm. Shareholders “buy a share” of the farm’s harvest each season and bring home a variety of fresh produce from June through October. Most of the vegetables are already harvested for the members when they arrive at the farm; however, peas, beans, flowers, herbs, and even strawberries (new this year) are out in the field for the members to pick themselves. The farm also sells its own naturally-raised pork, grass-fed beef from The Trustees’ Appleton Farms in Ipswich, and other local, seasonal products.

This year’s CSA share prices are $550 for Trustees members ($600 for nonmembers). Ninety-five percent of last year’s shareholders returned for the upcoming season, with word-of-mouth quickly spreading the news that additional CSA shares were being offered this year. The result was a quick sell-out of 200 shares; however, those who are interested in placing their name on a waiting list for next year are encouraged to email CSA Farm Manager, Meryl LaTronica at mlatronica@ttor.org.

Last season, Powisset Farm harvested more than 67,000 pounds of produce, more than 13,000 pounds of which was donated to five local hunger relief agencies. The farm will continue to donate produce to the Holliston Food Pantry, Natick Service Council, Greater Boston Food Bank, and others. In addition, volunteers contributed more than 650 hours of help on the farm throughout last year?s season, lending a hand both in and out of the fields. Those who would like to volunteer this season are welcome to drop in on Fridays from 9AM – 4PM and Saturdays from 1 – 4PM. For group or special volunteer requests, email Will Kemeza, Trustees volunteer coordinator, at wkemeza@ttor.org.

The Trustees have long supported protection of prime farmland throughout the Commonwealth. In addition to owning and managing 14 farms statewide, The Trustees also operate a 500-member CSA at Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Hamilton, the oldest working farm in the country, and provide land to other farming partners. At Long Hill in Beverly, The Trustees lease farmland to the Lincoln-based Food Project, an innovative program that brings urban and suburban youth together to grow produce for local farm stands and hunger relief organizations. At the elegant Bradley Estate in Canton, The Trustees provide farmland to Brookwood Community Farm, enabling the organization to double its crop harvest in preparation for opening a farmers market in Mattapan for inner city residents. More CSAs are planned at Weir River Farm in Hingham and Moose Hill Farm in Sharon.

The Trustees in the SoutheastIn the Southeastern part of the state, The Trustees have protected more than 10,000 acres in the last decade, and own and manage 37 properties, including working farms such as Powisset Farm, Weir River Farm, and Moose Hill Farm; tranquil woodlands such as Rocky Woods, Rocky Narrows, Whitney Thayer Woods, Copicut Woods, and Noanet Woodlands, formal gardens and historic homesteads such as the Bradley Estate in Canton and the Old Manse in Concord, and beautiful landscapes such as World’s End in Hingham . Visit www.thetrustees.org for more information.

More about The Trustees of Reservations StatewideThe Trustees are 100,000 people like you, from every corner of Massachusetts, who share a deep set of similar values – a love of the land, the outdoors, and the distinctive charms of New England?as well as a shared vision of celebrating and protecting these special places for everyone, forever.

Founded in 1891 by Charles Eliot, an open space visionary and protégé of the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, The Trustees of Reservations are the nation’s oldest statewide land conservation trust and nonprofit conservation organization. With 99 reservations, comprising nearly 25,000 acres – all open to the public – Trustees properties are tremendously diverse. From mountains, open meadows and parks, to working farms, stately homes and gardens, 70 miles of stunning coastline, and five National Historic landmarks, Trustees reservations offer something for everyone.

The Trustees also hold perpetual conservation restrictions on more than 16,000 acres – a total larger than any other conservation organization in Massachusetts – permanently protecting scenic and natural areas from development, and have worked with communities and other conservation partners to assist in the protection of another 16,000+ acres around the state.

The Trustees’ volunteers, members, donors, staff, and governing board all “hold in trust,” and care for nearly 100 places of cultural, natural, and historical significance, called "reservations."

Statewide, The Trustees employ 165 full-time, 46 regular part-time, and 350–400 seasonal staff with expertise in ecology, education, historic resources, land protection, conservation, land management, and planning. To apply for employment opportunities, request a speaker for an event, become an organizational partner, and/or interview Trustees’ experts on important topics and issues, please contact www.thetrustees.org.